Wednesday,
October 05, 2005 10:01 AM
Hand
Evaluation – HCPS ( Reverse Splinters )
PITBULLS:
Normally when you bid or respond a suit you are showing where you live. Is there any way in
particular hands that you show just the opposite
? In other words , you tell partner you have nothing in your suit expect maybe a jack .
This way you are telling partner that all your values are elsewhere so act
accordingly. One idea that comes to mind is a splinter ( jump) in your own
suit or a rebid of your suit when the
auction dictates that it is nonsensical.
You
open 1♥ on ♠AQxx ♥J109xx ♦Ax ♣Kx
, partner responds a spade . You bid 2♠ , partner bids 2NT Kokish or
3♦ Kokish.
A splinter in your own suit
describes your hand the best . You leap to 4♥ saying you accept
the game try in spades but you have nothing
in hearts. This bid is just another step in
the Kokish responses.
Quite often partner will
“pattern out” showing a stiff in your bid
suit. What if your suit is very weak so partner has hit a home run ? ♠Kx ♥J10xx ♦Ax ♣Q109xx partner opens 1♦ , you respond 1♥ . Partner rebids 1♠ so you bid 1NT.
Partner now bids 2♣ showing extra and a stiff or void in hearts. A 2♥ or 3♥ bid is nonsensical in this auction. Define it as a
splinter in your own suit saying
there is no wastage & I have a maximum !
♠KJ ♥xxxxx ♦Ax ♣J10xx Partner opens 1♠ , you bid 1NT
forcing. Partner bids 2♣ & you decide to bid 2♠. Partner bids 3♣
so your hand has grown into a monster. This is a splinter to 4♥ saying you love your
hand in support of clubs with nothing in hearts. A reverse splinter but the
same idea ( lack of duplication of value).
1♦-P-1♠-2♣ ♠Ax
♥AQxx ♦xxxxx ♣Ax 4♦ shows I have a rock heart raise but nothing in diamonds ,
the suit I opened. I did not bid 2♦ so long ♦’s are nonsensical
P-P-2♥-P
4♦
2 way NMF auctions where it is impossible
to have a splinter.
1♣-P-1♠-P
1NT-P-2♦-P
3♥-P-?
♠AKx ♥xxxx ♦Kx ♣KJ109 shows a spade raise with
all values outside the heart suit.
♠QJ10xx ♥x ♦AJxx ♣AQx and a hard to bid slam in spades is reached.
Sometimes in competitive
auctions you bid NT with not too
much in their suit. Partner is fearful of slam due to duplication of value. Enter the reverse splinter
in their suit to tell partner
differently.
1♥-1♠-1NT-P
2♦-P-3♠-P
♠J10xx ♥Kx ♦Kxxxx ♣Kx
opposite ♠x ♥Axxxx ♦AJxxx ♣Ax
These
“splinters” are usually in your own suit
or if you have bid NT , a jump cannot mean a
splinter. These bids help the opening lead so they should be used only as
courtesy slam tries. Comments ?